The Korean American Community Foundation (KACF) hosted its “Giving Summit” on September 14 at the LINE LA Hotel, bringing together over 200 Korean American leaders to emphasize the importance of giving and sharing.
This year’s event, held for the first time in Los Angeles, featured panelists including Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), who is running for the U.S. Senate, Kymber Lim, founder of Korean American Leaders in Hollywood, Katherine Yeom, director of the Korean American Family Services, and Julie Ha, director of the documentary “Free Chol Soo Lee.”
The panelists highlighted that the Korean American community, which has seen remarkable growth, should now evolve into a community that gives back.
KACF President Kyungbok Yoon stated, “Helping individuals and families become self-sufficient and empowered is going to take time and resources, but we just need to find a way to do it better and together. We have K-pop, K-beauty, K-drama, and K-Hollywood. Now is a great time for K-giving.”
Rep. Andy Kim emphasized that while giving often refers to financial contributions, there are many ways to contribute as a politician.
“The most important aspect of politics is about going out and meeting with the communities, engaging, hearing what they need,” Kim said. He added, “And certainly there are a lot of issues that are out there that are directly related to the Korean American community,” citing the Adoptee Citizenship Act and efforts to combat anti-Asian sentiment as examples of such issues.
However, Kim also urged the community to approach matters with the broader U.S. in mind to garner more widespread support, saying, “I want to make sure that we do this in a way that shows that we’re not just a special interest niche group.”
Cathy Cha, President of the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, echoed the importance of giving, but pointed out that solely focusing on the Korean American community could limit the movement’s impact. She highlighted the success of Korean American voter mobilization efforts, which were replicated in 19 other languages, leading to greater success.
The event was sold out, with all 200 seats taken. A KACF representative noted, “A diverse group of Korean American leaders attended, including those from the first, 1.5, and second generations.” The Giving Summit is an annual event initiated by KACF in New York in 2017.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
